Quality of life - a compass for city transformation

In 2013, the city of Detroit filed for Chapter 9?bankruptcy, making it the largest municipal?bankruptcy?in US history. Michigan’s biggest city had fallen far from its status in the 1950s as one of America’s richest, its booming economy fueled by a powerful automotive sector.

Today, however, Detroit has rediscovered its vibrancy. Its streets are filled with art and music as its neighbourhoods undergo a significant transformation from a once depressed urban landscape to up-and-coming hubs of commerce and life. The Detroit City Framework, a 50-year vision for the city, aims to improve the quality of life for its citizens while several private sector developers such as Bedrock are moving in, upgrading late 19th and early 20th century buildings and reimagining a new downtown as the city looks to reignite its economy.

It was a rather fitting location for the World Economic Forum’s Urban Transformation Summit, which my colleague Navdeep Hanjra and I both participated in last week. We met city leaders, urban planners, and architects from around the globe. We gained insights from University of Michigan Professor Bryan Boyer; we heard from Heela OmarKhail how Toronto is reinventing social housing to ensure long-term economic growth; and learned successful inclusion strategies from Thomas Kaunda, Mayor of Durban, South Africa.

It didn’t matter who we spoke to, or which city they represented, quality of life remained at the heart of the conversation throughout the three-day conference. How can we – as city leaders and planners – ensure the long-term economic growth of our cities and provide citizens with opportunities to support and elevate quality of life?

During the first six years of our work, The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was focused on establishing the AlUla brand – Saudi Arabia’s most important archaeological and cultural destination – and welcoming visitors and investors from around the world.

Today, our status as a maturing market and destination means the fundamentals of affordability and inclusion are being established: empowering the economy, raising the standard of living for our community, and developing urban areas with the needs of residents in mind. RCU’s definition of affordability translates directly to quality of life?– people’s ability to be active, engage in a community rich in culture, live with and not in conflict with the natural environment, and where well-being is prioritised.

Like many Vision 2030 projects in Saudi Arabia, our mission is to create a place where people can put down roots, where they can live, work, and thrive. In AlUla County, we are working to create a system of towns, villages, and rural communities that are diverse, vibrant, and inclusive in line with the Kingdom’s long-term goal to diversify the economy and expand tourism nationwide. We were pleased to see Diryah Gate Development Authority sharing a similar mission at the summit.

Under the vision of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of RCU, and the follow-up of our Governor HH Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, we have already achieved several milestones on our journey to success.

The recent launch of our Path to Prosperity masterplan will improve quality of life through the ambitious urban and community development of AlUla, prioritising affordability and liveability as core guiding principles.

The restoration of our Cultural Oasis and the upgrade of AlJadidah District demonstrate our ability to successfully conserve natural and historic areas and create thriving hubs for our community and authentic attractions for tourists.

Looking ahead, we will continue to work with partners such as the World Bank, UN Habitat, UNESCO and other Vision 2030 organisations, and expand our work with our global advisory network. This includes our work with Jacques Attali of Attali Associates 's teams to ensure the correct policies and regulations are being developed and implemented for the city's long-term viability.

AlUla’s transformation, from a relatively underdeveloped and rural destination to a dynamic city that is harnessing the latest ideas and innovations to establish itself on the world’s stage, can take inspiration from many of the stories heard during the summit – urban, economic, and cultural.

The ongoing development of AlUla shows us that cities, when empowered and supported, can evolve into masters of their own future - realigning their prospects and enabling their people to reach their full potential through a sustained focus on quality of life.

Hazem Galal - Alexander Revia